Coin-holder for telephone pay-stations.



N0. 636,|35. Patented Oct. 3|, |899.

W. GRAY. y COIN HOLDER FOR TELEPHONE PAY STATIONS. (Application Bled Jan. 6, 1899.) (No Model.)

56h/asses: y Mega Frrc WILLIAM GRAY,y oFHARTroRD,CONNECTICUT, Assis-NOR rro THE GRAY TELEPHONE PAY STATION COMPANY, or SAME PLACE.v

COIN-HOLDER FOR 'TELEPHNE PAY-STATIONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,135, dated October 31, 1899.

Appiiaion ned January e; 189e.'

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GRAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Holders for Telephone Pay-Stations, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled inthe art can make and use the same.

My invention relates to that class of tollcollecting devices 'used iny connection with telephone pay-stations in which thegffact of payment of toll is indicated ata distance from the instrument being used; and the object of my invention is to provide a device of 'this class in which a coin of the required amount maybe placed in the proper slot preparatory to indicating the payment or recovered by the payee at any time before the nal operation which indicates the payment for the use of the instrument. l

To this end my invention consists in the device as a whole, in the combination of parts, and in the details and their combination, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims. Y

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front View of a set of telephone instruments embodying my. invention. Fig. 2 is a detail View, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of a coin-slot plate, showing my improvement in plan view, Fig. is a detail front view of a portion of a channel-board, showing my improvement on enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a detail side or edge view of the'same in section through the coin-channel on dotted lines m .fr of Fig. 3 and showing the holder in position to retain a coin. Fig.v5 is a like View showing the holder in position to release a coin. Fig. 6 is a detail side or edge view, on enlarged scale, through the coin-channel of a channelboard on line yyof Fig. 7 and showing a modified form of Vmy invention. Fig. 7 is a detail front view of the same.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 1 denotes the backboard, 2 the toll or battery boX, 3 the transmitter, 4 the receiver, and 5 the magneto-bells, of a setof telephone instruments in common use.

. A coin-slot plate 6 is secured to the .top ofv Serial No. 701,431. (No model.)

the toll-box and is provided with slots 7 for the reception of coins of dierent denominations to be used in payment for such use of the telephone as may be required. Aplunger 5 5 8 extends upward through the coin-slot plate 6 and'has on itsA upper end a push-button or equivalent device 9 and at its lower end is pivoted to a receiving-lever 10, that is in turn pivoted to a bracket 11, secured to the chan- 6o nel-board 12. This channel-board is provided y with a channel 13for directing the movement of a coin against a gong or like signal device. (Not shownherein.) One end of the lever 10 projects into the coin-channel 18 in` position 65 to hold a coin 111 placed in the slot 7. This Vreceiving-lever in its normal position is so located that the coin shall project beyond the outer surface ofthe coin-slot plat-e 6 to an eX- tent t0 be easily taken, if desired, by the user 7o of the instrument. The lever isheld in the position described by means of a spring 15, secured to the channel-board'12, one end of the spring thrusting against a pin 16 on the plunger S.

In the modified form of the device shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the plunger 17'is.provided with a cam end 18, adapted to engage a springactuated plate 19. This plate 19 is mounted on the plate-supporting pin 2O and is held nor- 8o mally against the surface of the channelboard, as by means of a spring 21. Pins 22 project from the plate 19, through the chan- Vnel-board, into the coin-channel therein, the

vThese pins project in position to retain the coin with its end projecting beyond the outer 9o surface of the coin-slot plate in the same Inanner as described with reference to the lever 10.

In the operation of the device the central office is called in the usual manner and the necessary instructions given as to the person wanted. While the connections are being Imade, the person using the telephone procures the required coin and deposits it in the proper slot in the coin-slot plate 6, thusutilizing to advantage the time between that of roo calling the central oce and that of getting the connection. When the connections are obtained, lthe plunger 8 is pushed downward, removing the obstruction from the coin-chann el and allowing the coin to fall in the usual manner to sound a gong or like signal to denote.

the payment of the required toll for the use of the instrument.

If it is found that the required connections cannot be obtained, the coin may be easily removed from the slot in the coin-slot plate.

In the devices now in common use the central oiiice is called in the manner above described, and after the required connections are made the person using the instrument places the coin in the slot in the coin-slot plate and releases the coin, when it falls through the coin channel and sounds the usual signal. By the use of my improved device the otherwise-wasted time is employed in getting the coin ready and placing` it in the required slot, plenty of time being thus given for the exercise ot' proper care to insure the placing of the coin in the proper slot.

I claim as my inventionl. In a toll-collecting device, in combination, a plate having a coin-slot, a holder located in position to retain a coin with its edge projecting beyond the mouth of the channel, and means for withdrawingtthe holder from the channel whereby the coin travels therealong by its initial force.

2. In a toll-collecting device, in combination, a channel-board having a coin-channel, a holder located in the channel in position to retain a coin with its edge projecting beyond the mouth of the channel, and means for withdrawing the holder from the channel whereby the coin travels therealong by its initial force.

3. In a toll-collecting device, in combination, a channel-board having a coin-channel, a holder with one end projecting into the channel in position to retain a coin with its edge projecting beyond the mouth of the channel, and a plunger connected with the holder and adapted to Withdraw it from the channel and allow the coin to travel therealong by its initial force.

4. In a toll-collecting device, in combination, a channel-board having a coin-channel, a pivoted receiving-lever with one end projecting into the coin-channel in position to retain a coin with its edge projecting beyond the mouth of the channel, and a plunger pivotally connected with the receiving-lever and adapted to Withdraw its end from the channel to release the coin.

5. In a toll-collecting device, in combination, a coin-slot plate having a coin-slot, a coin-channel extending from said coin-slot, a receiving-lever pivotallysupported at one end and the other end extending into said coinchannel to receive a coin with its edge projecting from the coin-slot, and a plunger pivotally connected to the receiving-lever and extending through the coin-slot plate and adapted to move the receiving-lever to release the coin.

6. In a toll-collecting device, in combination, a channel-board having a coin-channel, a receiving-lever pivotally supported at one end andthe other end projecting into said coin-channel to receive a coin with its edge projecting out of the mouth of the coin-channel, a spring to retain the lever normally in position to retain a coin in the channel, a plunger pivotally connected with the receiv ing-lever and adapted to move the lever to release the coin.

WILLIAM GRAY.

Vtitnesses:

JOHN R. SLOANE, WILLIAM H. BARKER. 

